Environment

Bird Walk On Cañada Bonita/Nordic Ski Trails Sept. 10

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Cordilleran flycatcher. Photo by Marion Stelts

PEEC News:

One of the best ways to begin bird watching is by looking for the birds one sees and hears every day.  

The community is invited to join longtime Los Alamos resident and bird watcher Joe Fitzgibbon at 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 for a hike along the Cañada Bonita and Nordic Ski Trails.

The high-elevation trek winds through mixed conifer forest and offers breathtaking views. This is the perfect opportunity for adults and children who can hike up to five miles to get outside and admire local species of birds. Sightings Read More

Tales Of Our Times: A 500-Year Flood Apportions Risk

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Tales of Our Times 
By JOHN BARTLIT
New Mexico Citizens
for Clean Air & Water
 
A 500-Year Flood Apportions Risk
 
Good sense keeps working best when we notice it least. A case in point is the 500-year flood. The term seems to tell the last time and the next time such a bad flood will hit. In reality, the term is a beautiful tool that describes and manages flood risk.
 
The special term works in major ways to measure and divide the risk of flooding among government, citizens and the free market. Dividing up risk is a central reason societies organize.
 
Technically, a 500-year
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Wider Temperature Tolerance Is Based On Ion-pair-coordinated Polymers

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Researchers Yu Seung Kim,left, and Kwan-Soo Lee. Courtesy/LANL
 
LANL News:

A new class of fuel cells based on a newly discovered polymer-based material could bridge the gap between the operating temperature ranges of two existing types of polymer fuel cells, a breakthrough with the potential to accelerate the commercialization of low-cost fuel cells for automotive and stationary applications.

A Los Alamos National Laboratory team, in collaboration with Yoong-Kee Choe at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan and Cy Fujimoto of Sandia National Read More

National Park Service Is 100 Years Old Today!

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Turret Arch and North Window are two of the massive stone arches at the Windows Section in Arches National Park Utah. Photo by NPS/Jacob W. Frank

NPS News:

The National Park Service turns 100 years olds today and everyone can take part in the celebration.

The centennial kicks off a second century of stewardship of America’s national parks and engaging communities through recreation, conservation and historic preservation programs.

The National Park Service invites the nation to find a park and discover the national parks and programs in their own Read More

National Park Service Turns 100 Years Old: All Parks Are Free To Visit Aug. 25-28

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NPS News:
 
My name is Cheyenne and I am a rising 5th grader at an elementary school in Maryland. This Thursday, Aug. 25, the National Park Service turns 100 years old.

To celebrate this anniversary, all national parks will be free to visit Aug. 25-

28, and I wanted to tell you why I hope you will go to FindYourPark.com and plan a visit to some of these amazing places.

Parks are very important to me. When you go to parks, you are able to see just how beautiful and awesome the outdoors can be and how we must be good stewards of our planet.

Sure, you can go on an adventure in a video game, or see

Read More

Robot Electrocutes Invasive Lionfish In Coral Reefs

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Courtesy photo
 
RISE News:
 
A US non-profit company has designed an innovative method of controlling the spread of lionfish threatening to devastate fish stocks and coral reef ecosystems in warmer ocean waters.

Robots In Service of the Environment (RISE) joined deep ocean research charity, Nekton, on its maiden voyage in the North Atlantic to test a prototype being developed to operate remotely in deep water to locate and deliver a fatal electric shock to the invasive species.

Nekton’s research vessel was off the Bermudian coast conducting the XL Catlin Deep Ocean

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Summit Garden Club Fall Plant Sale Sept. 10

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Summit Garden Club President Shelby Redondo displays a few of the plants for sale at the Sept. 10 event at PEEC.  Photo by Nancy Nunnelley 

GARDEN News:

Here’s some good news for anyone in need of more plants for their home or garden or who just can’t pass up a good bargain, especially when it involves plants. Summit Garden Club is holding a plant sale 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Los Alamos Nature Center, 2600 Canyon Road.

More than 300 landscape garden and indoor plants will be available for sale, in 2-inch to 1-gallon containers, some even in 5-gallon containers.

Spectacular, Read More

Valles Caldera Celebrates National Park Service Birthday With Free Entry Aug. 25-27 And Special Event Saturday

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VCNP News:

JEMEZ SPRINGS — Valles Caldera National Preserve, in partnership with Los Amigos de Valles Caldera and the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, is celebrating the National Park Service centennial anniversary with free entry from Aug. 25-28 and a special event 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27.

Visitors on Saturday can participate in the preserve’s “BioBlitz” where citizen-scientists of all ages can help the NPS discover and document the plants and animals that call the preserve home.  

Los Amigos de Valles Caldera, the preserve’s friends group, will sponsor a variety

Read More

Governor Activates State Emergency Operations Center In Preparation For Potential Flooding Statewide

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STATE News:

Today, Gov. Susana Martinez directed the activation of New Mexico Emergency Operations Center to assist in the coordinated response to flooding across the state, including Rio Arriba, Sierra, Dona Ana and Eddy counties.

These counties, including other areas of the state, have been hit with heavy rain, which is expected to continue throughout the week.

“As monsoon season continues to bring heavy rains and flooding throughout the state, I’ve activated the Emergency Operations Center to monitor the situation and assist in response as needed,”  Martinez said. “Our Read More

A Business Case For Solar Discussion Wednesday

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PES News:
 
To better educate the public about solar energy, the system installation process and cost savings, Karen Paramanandam with SunPower by Positive Energy Solar (and member of projectY cowork Los Alamos) is hosting discussion “A Business Case for Solar,” at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 150 Central Park Square, Los Alamos.
Paramanandam is suggesting that business owners and homeowners interested in learning more about solar energy also bring their utility bills with them.
 
The event
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